Synopsis:On
the remote island of Puerto Franco, young Leah wades into the sea and
disappears. Her body is never found. Thirty years later, visual artist
Mar arrives on the island with her daughter, Lemay. She anticipates a
haven where she can work on her craft, away from her controlling
husband. Instead, Mar finds herself in the midst of a close-knit
community haunted by a curse three-decades old.The Review: (Warning - contain spoilers)Plot & pace
- A wonderful yet haunting story of a community trapped by a curse
of betrayal and revenge. The death of Leah had never been explained. Her
disappearance has left the people of Puerto Franco disheartened and
suspicious. Believing it is a paranormal jinx placed on the island, it
is a secret that is not openly discussed or revealed; the truth behind
Leah's death.As
a community that is built on knowing everyone else's business, it isn't
too long before Mar makes an impact. Mar becomes engrossed in the story
of Leah's death as she explores the island and discovers the family
home. Through her adventures on Puerto Franco, Leah communicates with
her, forewarning her of danger and the identity of her murderer.Thrown
into the mix, is Sebastian, Leah's brother and swooning heart-throb of
the island that encapsulates Mar's' affection. Bound by fate and
the superstition of the community, he has a black mark by his name.
Trapped in a relationship with Manuela, who I would class as the village
bike \ bitch, he is constantly reminded of the life he could of had
with his sister. This
a story and plot with a myriad of tales. In some scenes the story
relays the historical tragedy and paranormal fantasy of Leah's death and
in others it
documents the love triangle with Mar, Seb and Manuela and Mar's vision
of her own life and future career in art. It's not a 'mid-life crisis'
book and likewise I would be hesitant to class it as chick-lit as it
somewhat diminishes the skill the author has presented in crafting the
story. However, I
would have liked a little less 'love' and more paranormal thrown in,
near the middle it was in danger of turning into another chick-lit;
fortunately the
ending was superb, satisfying and saved it; I won't give it away as it
will be too bigger spoiler but it was a great finish to the book.

Setting and description -
Aside from the plot itself, the setting was the other particularly
strong element. Puerto Franco, Spain was described with such beauty it
transported me straight to the island and previous family holidays I've
had in the Mediterranean. I could close my eyes and almost touch the tip
of the sea and feel the grain of sands between my toes. It sounds very
cliched, but it was pure escaping.The
island was so atmospheric. Receiving the hostile, easterly winds, sea
mist and storm waves it was an island of two faces; the lovely beach
holiday destination and the harsh reality of a community living by the
sea. The
detachment from the mainland only served to enhance the islands
isolation and closeness of the community from the outside world. Characters
- Though I warmed to the character of Mar, the upper class housewife
escaping her prison to pursue her artistic work, I did feel her
back-story was somewhat typical. The fact she fell for Sebastian was not
altogether surprising, though I must admit how quickly Seb began
pursuing Mar was. I really loved Sebs character. He lives in the shadow
of a life he could of had, of the family that once lived. And though
this haunts him, he doesn't want to leave the island and forget
the tragedy. Language & dialogue used
- The book is neither hard to read nor follow. It does not require too
much concentration and you can easily pick it up and put it down (if you
can) and set off immediately where you left. The language used is
beautiful, particularly the odd bit of Spanish thrown in here and there
(which, oddly I didn't know the literally definition of the words I
understood the message being conveyed).Narrative
- Told in the third person we follow the two main characters of the
book, Sebastian and Mar through their thoughts and how they process the
turn of events that befall them. The narrative is expressed very well.Themes and ideas
- Certain elements did feel slightly traditional and safe, such as
Mar's backstory. Yet, for a novel with a foundation of a historical
curse it packs a punch; we have the love triangle, the ghost-story come
mystery of Leah, the middle aged housewife pursuit of a career, all
within a sunny, tropical paradise. Book cover
- I don't usually comment on the front cover of books but I really
liked the imagery. It looks as though the girl (Leah), is either walking
towards or away from the sea. A good illustration of the paranormal
theme of a spirit that is not at rest, one that is lost at sea and those
souls which come out the water and haunt.Overall review
- I envisaged that this would make a great holiday read. There's
mystery, romance, the beach all rolled into one book. I think this may
become a 'guilty pleasure' book; an easy read which though does not push
the boundaries does make a cracking good book. 4* Stars.

Saturday, 13 October 2012

Guest Post: Lorne Oliver on The Writing Process

0
people left their Verdict here

What’s the first question anyone asks after
finding out you are a writer?“How do
you get your ideas?”And half of my book
is from the view of a serial killer, so in my case they usually take a step
back while asking.Wait till the next
one about a serial pedophile killer comes out.

The
second question a published writer is asked is, what is your writing process.

“I
say good sir, be a chap and tell me your writing process so as I may copy it.”

“Dude,
like, do you write in a notebook or on a computer or dude like on one of those
typewriter things by candlelight?”

“I
want to be a writer to.How do you do
it?”

Next
month I am mediating a writers circle group and I guarantee that on the first
night some form of that question will be asked.Usually people hate it when you go, “the ideas?They just sort of come to me.The process?I don’t know.I just write.”

“You
just write?What the heck is that for an
answer?I hear Stephen King locks
himself in a room, do you do that?Some
people have one computer for Internet and another for writing, do you do
that?Do you have a big oak desk and a
tweed jacket with patches on the elbows and one of those Sherlock Holmes pipes
and a dog named Steinbeck that sits at your feet?I heard Anne Rice liked to write notes on her
walls, computer, posters, well everything in black marker, do you do that?I need to know how to write.”

“I
just write, man, chill.”

The
writing process is different for everyone.Right now I am writing this blog in a blue Staedtler triplus ball M pen
in a Blueline Miracle Bind notebook while sitting in a chair in the kitchen at
the daycare where I am the cook.My
novel Red Island I wrote primarily while working in Charlottetown, Prince
Edward Island at a restaurant called the Urban Eatery where I was a cook.I would write it in my black notebook while
on break or between customers then go home and type it onto the computer
whenever I had the chance.For my new
book I got my best ideas while moving from one house to another and sitting in
the truck.

I’m
sorry, writer groupies, but there is no magic process to go from wannabe to
prolific writer.Well, I guess the only
magic is to write.Through trial and
error you have to find what works for you.Computer, typewriter, tape recorder, pen and notebook, marker and roll
of toilet paper, pencil and bar napkins…then write.You will find a process which works best for
you.Maybe you can only write on the
train home or early in the morning before the kids get up.Maybe you need complete silence.Maybe you need music blaring or the sounds of
a full household.You might be a morning
writer or late at night scribe.Take
your top 10 writers and I bet you will find 10 completely different writing
processes…and their process changes with each book they write.

Now
this isn’t to say there are not common things that every writer should do.The first is write!Write often.It doesn’t have to be the same epic novel you have been struggling with
for years.Writing about your day in a
journal or diary can be a great way to get the creative juices flowing.Or write blog entries.The point is to be a writer you have to
write.You sure aren’t going to do it by
thinking about writing.

On
the flip side you should also be a reader.I don’t read as much as I should.And read more than your own genre.See how others turn a phrase or describe something.Just as importantly, see their mistakes.In Red Island I had (probably still have)
editing mistakes.I miss word or put in
in an extra word and sometimes there are spelling mistakes.Nobody is perfect and after 6 plus people
editing it there are still errors.My
thought was, no big deal, then I read another Ebook with the same types of
errors.Now I get what it is like to be
reading along then have to backtrack because something doesn’t seem right.

So…experiment
with different ways to write (products, places, sounds, times) until you find
what works – and realize it won’t work every time and your own writing process
will change and evolve as you and your life does the same.

Write
constantly.The more practice you get
the better you get.

And
Read.Read the good, the bad, and the
ugly to help gain knowledge of the act and develop your style.

Finally,
quit asking where ideas come from and what the writing process is.Accept that ideas come from Leprechauns and
gophers and the writing process is a mythical adventure.

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Book Review: Red Leaves and the Living Token by Benjamin David Burrell

The Synopsis:Doctors tell Raj that his son Emret won't survive his illness. As Raj struggles to prepare himself and Emret for the inevitable, he's confronted by Moslin, his son's nurse, who's been filling Emret's head with fairytales about heroic quests and powerful disease curing miracles. Emret now thinks that all he has to do is find the mythical Red Tree from the nurse's stories, and he'll live.In an attempt to protect his son from further emotional damage, Raj asks Moslin to stay away from Emret.He returns hours later to find them both missing. He searches the fairytales for clues to where they may have gone and stumbles upon stories that, strangely,he already knows. He saw them in a vision just before his son disappeared.The Review:Plot & Pace
- A story of folklore and mythology surrounding the mysterious Red
Tree; the bringer of life to the creatures of Petra, Bota and Zo. Emret
has an illness which is feared to be terminal and his nurse, Moslin,
has told him of the story of the Red Tree. If the Red Tree is found
this would ensure he would survive the disease which plagues his body;
and so they embark on a quest that leads them to cross their continent
to find the mythical tree.Close
behind them is Raj, Emret's dad, who fears the mythology is a lost
cause and sets out with his butler Rinacht after his son with the
guidance of the Token; a religious book that offers the owner the gift
of foresight. But these aren't the only people after the Red Tree. The evil Lord Valance, a powerful politician and entrepreneur are
keeping a close eye on both parties. For is Valance gets his way, the
Manea, the fuel for which all creatures depend on, will be limited and
the Red Trees belong to him. The only question is who will get to the
Red Tree first.The
story of a three-sided quest was very good; I thought the chase and
adventure as they all started their journey was fast-paced and cleverly
thought out. Though at first I didn't really like it, I warmed to the
book the more I read as each page gripped my interest and imagination. Throughout
you have to pay careful attention to the plot as there are many
underlying themes and sub-stories. These include the three main
religious artefacts:

The Token - the mysterious
and rare Journal of the Reds; a book whose purpose and critical
function had been neglected and unfulfilled. Whoever holds The Token can
find the path to The Reds.

The
Manea - a plant that is both the vital food and fuel which all living
things depend on. At the time of the book, the resource is scarce.

The
Reds - a symbolic plant that represents God. It is immortal and
unending, transcending time and space. The plant has not been seen for
thousands of years. When the Gods return, they will avenge those that
betray and desecrate. The Keepers of the Reds live at the Temple of the
Order of the Reds; a shrine of gold and treasures.

I'm
not entirely certain I followed the complete story, from start to
finish so the above may not be 100% correct. This was main due to three
main reasons; first, sometimes there was a lack of description between
the dialogues. I didn't get a clear picture of the setting or
surroundings of the characters between each scene. Second, was the
mystery which comes with the mythology. These are myths and legends that
the characters do not know the full story of and likewise this
translates to the reader. The third is that the story was full of
politics and debates, especially in the early stages of the book before
Raj set off after his son. At every obstacle there wasn't much action
just debates and I felt my interest wane after a while. These three
factors did detracted from my enjoyment of the story.Characters - There are three different races portrayed in this book:

Petra - creatures that have a body of stone

Bota - green limbed creatures with tentacles

Zoen - hunchbacked, furry animals with snouts

Not
much else is given by way of description of the three races and their
looks \ appearance. It made me think of them as almost human by way of
stature and stance. Raj is a Zoen, a courageous and strong being who
comes across as loving but also someone who gets very easily distracted.
Though he loves his son he doesn't display the emotions
and behaviour of someone who is desperate to find him. His search is
more trying to find the medicines and tools to cure him. Lord
Valance is the evil mastermind of the story that is like the puppet
master trying to control all the characters in the book. If he has
control over the production of Manea he can dominate who gets the
supply. To do this he needs control over both The Token and The Books of
the Reds. But as he doesn't have The Token he cannot find the path to
the Reds; so he must follow Raj. Valance is a great character, full
of malice and wickedness, the perfect bad guy. Setting -
The magical world in which the book is set is split into the countries
of Petra, Bota and Zo. I loved the names of both the places and
characters in the book; they are unconventionally and unique. But that
is about it as far as the setting goes. I know little of the society and
environment regarding the countries concerned so I can't really expand
much more. Language Used & Dialogue - I thought the language and dialogue was the weakest part of the novel. Some events such as the visions
Raj experienced left me feel disorientated as I felt these were not
explained well. In other examples, the same description was repeated
during the same scene: "dwarfed by the size of the tree". Using
the same adjective of dwarfed elsewhere made me feel as though the
author was running out of words to describe the setting. There are also a
few typos here and there but you do have to look hard to spot them.

Narration - Told in the third person and follows all the different main characters.Themes & Ideas -
The main theme I picked up on in the book is the parody on
Christianity: the religious symbols of The Token reminded me of the
Bible; the Reds avenging made me think of the Apocalypse; the fighting
between the races felt like the historical disputes between Catholics
and Protestants; the black sky which appeared after the stealing of the
Crown seemed like one of the plagues and the medical vs nature reflects
the current debate of science vs God.

Book Structure
- I enjoyed the prologue; it set the scene of the School Master as he
read the Token. Someone's coming, filled with anticipation and suspense
and appreciated that the book was something of great importance and
meaning.I liked the map at the
start of the book, it helped to visualise spatially where everything was
in relation to everything else and to keep track of whether the
characters were at particular points in the novel. I did think it was
slightly bare and could have done with a bit more detail.I thought the glossary
should have been provided at the start of the book. It is not
cross-referenced or made reference to throughout the book and as it was
an e-book the only way I found the glossary was at the end when I
finished reading the book and the whole point of having the glossary was
undermined i.e. it was there after I read the book not when I needed
it. A table of contents or perhaps moving the glossary to the start
would rectify this.Overall Verdict: It's
an intelligent and unique story mixing many elements of a dad trying to
find his son with a religious quest. The plot itself is very good but I
think the execution at times lets it down. That said, it is still a
novel that has great potential and is full of fun. 3* Stars.

Thursday, 4 October 2012

Book Review: Red Island by Lorne Oliver

0
people left their Verdict here

Book: Red Island - A NovelAuthor: Lorne OliverBased on the theme: Author RequestPublished by: Lorne OliverDate published: 2012Format: E-bookISBN: 9780973813210Length: 213 pagesGenres: Adult Fiction, Horror, Thriller, Murder Mystery, Detective novel, suspense, indie author, graphic novelThe Synopsis:Was
it the nightmare that woke him or the late night phone ringing that
brought on the dream? Sgt. Reid of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
brought his family to Prince Edward Island, “The Gentle Island,” to get
away from crime and homicides. He had to get away from the nightmares
and concentrate on his family. PEI is a lovely place to live. The sound
of the ocean crashing against sandy beaches, sand dunes covered in tufts
of dancing green grass……And then there was the young woman hanging from a tree. It wasn’t a gentle island any more.

The Review:Plot & Pace: A brilliantly paced, well executed detective
novel that leaves your heart thumping page after page with the suspense
and thrill of the story. Sargent Reid moved away from the busy city life
for a quiet rural existence; mainly due to suffering what I believe was
post-traumatic stress syndrome after investigating the murders of four
young girls. The family life is starting to wane, there's no excitement,
no passion with an Island that is as calm as the waters which surround
it.

That is until he dreams the murder of a girl that turns to reality.
Chloe is the first of a serial killing spree which begins to consume the
Island, it's residents and Reid himself. Trying to separate his
personal feelings from his job gets increasingly difficult with each new
murder; Johanna, Nichole... as the killer gets more confident and more
cocky, the ground underneath Reid's feet and the foundations of his
investigation begin to crumble.

For we meet the killer as a young boy to the current day man he has
become. Alienated from his peers, with a self-image that he's "pathetic"
and a deeply disturbing mentality, Ben's psychotic behaviour and
thoughts develop with age. Being in control in his own world, making his
own law and order is how he copes and in doing so, he believes this
gives him the licence to torture, mutilate and kill women.

As his confidence grows it's clear that he is clever and cunning, with
no set pattern or clues that the police can latch onto. For at first it
was a one off murder, now a series of bodies, then the possibility he
isn't acting alone, there's more than one killer, he doesn't appear to
have a unique 'type', the methods of the torture and killing evolves...
there is little for Reid to go on. That is, until the hunter becomes the
hunted and now it turns personal.

Fast paced, with twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat
and up all night till you finish the last page. The plot though quite
typical of the genre, was still incredibly gripping and entertaining.
There were a few minor details within the plot which would need to be
ironed should the author write another detective novel but these are
hardly worth of note to the average reader.

Setting: For me the setting of the book, on Prince Edward Island,
located off the coast of mainland Canada, was brilliantly atmospheric.
The island seemed to be the typical ghost town; eerily quite during the
off-peak tourist season and where everyone knows
everyone else's business but still manage to keep themselves to
themselves. The red sand and references to red throughout the novel
really create this feeling that there is a deep disturbing secret
underlying the island which no one wants to admit; (plus leading to a
great title for the book itself). I almost had a strange sense of deja
vu when reading the novel; the setting really reminded me of the film Insomnia - if you've seen the film you'll understand what I mean.

Characters: If the plot was slightly stereotypical, the
characters took it to the extreme. I had issues with Sargent Reid from
the start; he clearly had PTS and his own psychological problems to
contend with; part of me wandered why he was still employed as it was
obvious from the beginning the boundaries of his professional and
personal life were becoming blurred. I don't know why none of the other
detectives picked it up. That said you knew he would be a digger,
contemplating the minute details of the case and really give you an
insight into the detective world. The use of Police acronyms also added
to the realism.

The serial killer, Ben, was also very cliched; he started killing
animals first (a typical personality trait in psychopaths), had issues
growing up, was not accepted by his peers, was sexually frustrated etc.
On the other hand, we also saw how he had used these traits to blend
into society so that no one suspected him; he had a dual personality in a
sense or was a very good actor. It gave a different perspective other
than he was just born to kill; he was born with the traits but society
turned him into the killer.

Language Used & Dialogue: The description
was absolutely wonderful and the literary techniques employed by the
author were great. To give one example, when the pathologists are
examining Chloe at the site of her hanging, we are given a description
of her body that is used to inform her personality. This departs from
the usual formal identification by family member, researching into her
life etc.

I also really liked how the author used all of your senses in the novel.
Drip, red and other adjectives were used really effectively so that it
bought the story to life.

The dialogue was good but not fantastic. Mainly as the stereotypical
personalities of the characters also came out in some of the dialogue: "Somebody saw something. Someone is talking out there" and "I want toknow these women better than I know myself". It's slightly cringe-worthy which is quite disappointing.

Narration: The chapters alternate between Reid's narrative in the
first person and Ben's in the third. The narrative itself is very good
especially in regards to the build up and back story to Ben's life.
Following both the detective and serial killer meant you
could piece together little bits of the puzzle as you went along.
Firstly, (when not knowing that Ben was the serial killer) you try to
find clues and work out how he's involved in the plot. Then later, you
try to jump a step or two ahead, work out his next move and when the two
main characters will collide.

Themes & Ideas: Though the book is not remarkably original
and in some case quite obvious there is still an element of
unpredictability. I think if you really like the good guy vs bad guy,
similar and familiar characters and detective novel set up, you'll love
it. But I don't think it pushes the boundaries hard enough.

Overall Verdict: All in all a very enjoyable and gripping book
which delivers on many levels. Though in some instances it was very
stereotypical of the genre, it is still a great detective thriller in
it's own right. I would love to see a follow-up and turn Reid's
character into a detective series. Definitely an author to watch out
for. 4* Stars.

Saturday, 29 September 2012

Interview: Michael Diack on advertising - is it worth the investment?

2
people left their Verdict here

Verdict
has interviewed Michael Diack on advertising for self-published authors
and whether it is worth the investment. Michael Diack is a 26 year-old
graduate of Geology from the University of Manchester. Working for the
geophysical company Oman, one of his mains ambitions is to be a
volcanologist like Pierce Brosnan in Dante's Peak. Outside of work,
Michael enjoys table tennis, music, films, football, sailing and writing
about magical potatoes with a taste for adventure and humour. His debut
novel, The Super Spud Trilogy was released in April 2012 and is out now, available as a paperback and e-book for Kindle.

1.
This interview is surrounds the theme of advertising, a key element to
the success of any book. How have you advertised your book?Online I’ve been busy creating and advertising my blog, Facebook page and Twitter. I’ve also been active on the Goodreads and Book Blogs forums for nearly a year now. I’ve done giveaways to create exposure and hosted competitions. I created lots of flyers and press releases to approach book stores with. At the moment I’m busy building up the reviews, ultimately it will be the reviews in the long term which determine the success of the book. I’m sure there are lots more websites out there to help me promote my book; Pinterest seems to be one of them which I’m probably not utilizing properly.

2. Have you hired any third parties such as publicists or have you done all the advertising for the book yourself?

My small press publisher helped massively to get me into a few magazines and my local paper, but most of the advertising and getting the reviews I’ve done myself. I’ve literally contacted hundreds of bloggers asking for reviews and perhaps only half reply, and then half of those don’t accept the book for review. It’s a tough, hard slog to get reviews and to stand out from the crowd. My book is currently involved with a blog tour which is generating increased traffic and making me some sales.

3. Have you noticed an increase in sales since adopting the above methods?

It’s hard to say. Initially there was a spike in sales in the weeks after the release, but since then it is difficult to judge. My Goodreads page has certainly increased through hosting giveaways and competitions. The blog tour has been very good because it is continuous exposure one day after another. I’m certainly not making a sale a day, perhaps one a week (on a good week).

4. What has been your best advertising method in terms of the amount of sales generated?

The blog tour was very good for me and I saw a direct increase in sales and traffic to my websites. However, I honestly think the best way is to interact with bloggers and talking to people and making a more personal connection than just posting a link to your book online. Book bloggers are very passionate about their blogs and books, of course, and making a connection with them is vital. The best advertising method is just getting those good reviews and then showing them off to give your book credibility (as long as they are not fake!).

5. What are the key factors to consider when advertising a novel?

It’s important to know your target audience and focus on them i.e. making sure you comment in the appropriate forums and don’t waste your time or money on people who simply won’t even consider your book in the first place. However, my genre is humour and it’s for most ages over 12, so I had difficulty zoning in on one age range and some people contacting me weren’t sure if this book was supposed to be for them, so I struggled sometimes in that regard. You need to treat advertising as a job, working away at it every day.

6. How much investment have you put in to advertising your book? How much time and money is feasible to spend on advertising?

I’m fortunate to have a good job which pays the bills and allows me a little extra to spend on my book. At the moment, I’m spending a lot of money on paying the airmail postage sending my novel out to reviewers and giveaway winners in America or across Europe. I’ve easily spent a few hundred pounds and certainly way more than I’ll ever receive in royalties for the copies sold. However, I’m hoping that just through sheer persistence and long term marketing I could catch a break and sales will increase. With my current job and lifestyle this approach is OK for me as I’m not doing this for purely financial reasons. I want people to laugh and enjoy my book and to be entertained. You have to spend money to make money, but I’d certainly be restricted I didn’t have my current job and the income available. Relying on book sales is simply not an option. As for your time, I’d say a few hours a day accessing the forums, promoting your links and contacting reviewers. My job is just sitting in front of a computer for 12 hours a day, so I get to use the internet and market my book when my boss isn’t looking. I’m unconvinced yet about paying certain high traffic websites to post your book or tweet your link. I did it once and saw no increase in sales or comments on the websites. There were five or so other books the same day as mine, every day, being promoted and it was just money down the drain. I won’t do that again.

7. Why are blogs such as Verdict good platforms for advertising?

Contacting bloggers is essential I think and being included on their blogs through a guest post, interview, review or excerpt are vital to gaining exposure and potential sales. I’m always very grateful to bloggers for their time and effort in helping promote debut authors like myself. Blog tours are good because it’s being featured on one blog after another, but by far the majority of blogs I’ve been featured on I didn’t have to pay anything and I’ve seen great results and gained new followers and friends. It’s far better gaining a more personal exposure on blogs and then interacting with all their followers, who are sometimes their friends in real life, and who will be more likely to buy the book based on their friend’s recommendation or review.

8. If you published another novel, what would you do differently in regards to advertising?I will be releasing another Super Spud novel soon and I’ll probably do the same advertising. The key thing is I will have two books to my name now and this will all help increase exposure and more tagging on Amazon. I’m not sure what I could do differently; I need to perhaps have a dedicated website to my book rather than a blog as it seems more professional. I’ll be a lot more focused on which methods worked best the first time and re-doing that.

9. When you advertised your novel, what elements did you push i.e.the synopsis, the price, the front cover and so on?

I guess I pushed the synopsis quite far. When contacting people or posting on forums I’d always mention walking, talking crisp packets as soon as possible to raise the reader’s attention to something unique and quirky. I’d also mention the fact that it is three books in one to make the price seem more reasonable. Ideally I’d have liked a Super Spud on the front cover, but I’m hopeless at drawing and I’m happy with the design – simple but interesting. Certainly the synopsis is the key thing, drawing in the reader to at least make them stop and consider your book rather than a passing glance. A catchy cover is also essential and I guess it’s just the right balance of everything. As an owner of a Kindle myself, I know price would probably be the ultimate factor for me regardless of how much I liked the synopsis or cover.

10. What have you learnt through your personal experience in the world

of book advertising?It’s harder than writing a novel in the first place! You need to be prepared mentally for spending both your money and your time and then not seeing any results sometimes. I sold a few copies when I didn’t do much advertising one week and then I sold zero copies after I’d pushed hard. It’s just so up and down and one big rollercoaster ride.Writing a book and publishing it is a great achievement, but if you’re serious and passionate about it you have to devote your every spare moment to marketing. It’s also good to have a strategy and to try to build up a following months before you release your book.

Friday, 28 September 2012

Book Review: The Super Spud Trilogy by Michael Diack

Book: The Super Spud TrilogyAuthor: Michael DiackBased on the Theme: Author RequestPublished by: Pen PressDate published: 2012Format: E-BookISBN: 9781780033273Length: 262 pagesGenres: Fiction, Fantasy, Humour, Comedy, Fun,Synopsis:Genetic
engineering has accomplished many things, one of which has been to
create the Super Spud! The humble potato elevated to new heights,
creating the most flavoursome crisps ever known to humankind! But that's
not all - A magical transformation occurs to all Super Spud crisps not
eaten before their use-by date. They take on a life of their own. And so
long as they remain undetected by humans, they enjoy life in their own
Super Spud cities, take part in major Super Spud sporting events and
even start the odd Super Spud war or two. Join Colin, Cougar, Hannibal
Vector, Generals Rock, Jock and Strap and all the others in their
rollicking adventures. You'll never look at a packet of crisps in the
same way again! Fun, quirky and totally original, Michael Diack's debut
is strictly for those who are still big kids at heart.

The Review:Plot & Pace - The Super Spud Trilogy is a fun loving,
engaging series of books with a manic sense of child humour and
wonder. It is not very often that I agree with the authors / editors
synopsis of a book but in this case I can make an exception; it is "fun,
quirky and totally original".

We are introduced to the world of the 'Super-Spud', a genetically
engineered living crisp packets that is governed by three key rules:
1) Once the foil packed is sealed, it cannot be opened or punctured.
2) The Super-Spud cannot, in any shape or form, come into contact with humans.
3) Once surviving without being eaten past the 7 day sell-by-date, the Super-Spud can develop limbs.
Now instantly I thought point 3 contradicted point 1 as surely sprouting
such limbs they would puncture the packet. Else how could they start
moving and transport themselves from place to place?

Aside from the technicalities we are introduced to the Super-Spud way of
life, from the their creation on the conveyor belt, to the landfill
sites where disposed Super-Spuds live, to royal families, to wars
between rival clans and so on. It's enjoyable and amusing throughout due
to many elements; the personality traits of the Super-Spuds that are
based on different seasoning, the parallel human to spud cultural
personalities and events, the use of the setting of landfill sites due
to the lack of humans, the child-like imagination and the general joy of
the story. One of my favourite parts was the Super-Spud Olympics; one
event was the javelin in which pencils were used. It really reminded me
of The Borrowers by Mary Norton in that sense (not the writing, more so the similarities in the characters statures).

Though it is enjoyable, the plot does ware a little thin after a while.
This is mainly because I think the book is too long when considering
what the stories have to deliver. There are a great number of both
characters and mini-adventures that the author crams into a trilogy
consisting of 262 pages. Instead of 3 books, I thought this should have
been a collection of mini-stories, around 20-30, which are rolled into
one another. The only connection feature between the three books is that
the characters are Super-Spuds and a few characters; there is no one
overall plot or clear direction. It seems a bit pointless in these
stories being put together in three books when they could have been
separate and termed 'The Adventures of the Super-Spuds'.

Characters - As stated, there are many characters that we meet in
the book due to the short life expectancy of the Super Spuds, who, on
average, have a likelihood of a few hours to a couple of days in their
life span. Hence, the moment we are introduced to one character, he or
she soon dies. This doesn't have a huge impact in terms of following the
story as each flavoured crisp packet tends to have the same personality
controlled by their flavouring. For instance, salt & vinegar
flavoured crisps tend to be arrogant and good with the ladies, where as
stake & spinach flavours tend to be strong, brave and natural
leaders. The similar characteristics of the flavourings, dare I term it
as the race of the Super-Spuds, means it feels as though you are only
following a handful of characters, that any new ones which are
introduced have some ground of familiarity to them.

Setting - Due to the number of characters and events in the book
there are a number of different settings. My favourite setting by far
was the landfill. I thought this was a particularly clever and funny
environment for which the Super Spuds could sprout
their colonies without the watchful attention of humans and the
incorporation of litter within their environment made the Super-Spuds
seem even more silly and funny.

Narrative - The narrative for me was the strongest part. The
comical undertone of the novel in a few instances reminded me of Douglas
Adams. It had the same strange sense of irony that sometimes made you
laugh out loud. To give one example, I loved the part where the Roman's
were battling the Super-Spuds; when you picture it in your head, Roman
Super-Spuds it seems so daft but funny. I loved General Spartacus as
well.

Language Used & Dialogue - This was not a hard book to
understand nor read. But it did lead me to think at what age group these
books are aimed at and I drew together a conflicting view. On the one
hand the stories themselves are suited to a young audience due to the
child-like humour and I doubt walking and talking spuds over 262 pages
would appeal to an audience of 12 years and above, more so 8 - 12 years.
On the other hand there is quite a lot of violence (albeit spuds
killing one another), the trilogy is quite lengthily and those in the
younger of the age brackets of 8-10 may struggle with reading it
themselves.

Themes & Ideas - You cannot detract points from this novel
when considering this category. The concept itself is completely
original and different to anything else out there at the moment.

Overall Verdict - In short, I think this is a very amusing and
entertaining novel that young children would love. I'm unsure that it
will sustain and hold the readers interest for the entirety of the three
books. But it is definitely a collection which parents would find
enjoyable and funny when reading to their kids. 3* Stars.

Wednesday, 19 September 2012

Interview: Mik Everett on the story behind Turtle

Mik
Everett is a native of Wichita, KS, and lives in Longmont, CO with the
love of her life and their two three-year-old children. She is a former
logic instructor, model, and college student, and is opening a bookstore
with her family this winter. Her novel, Turtle: The American Contribution of Franz Ferdinand, was recently reviewed by Verdict and this interview aims to delve a little deeper to find the story behind the book.

The naming of the book is unusual; how did you first develop the title and why did you decide to use it?The name went through several working titles. I believe the first, back in 2005 or so, was Foreigner, from a since-deleted line. Then Self-Portraits of a Fictitious Character. Maybe I should have kept that one. Blame It on Franz Ferdinand was
the title for about 3 years. Ultimately I had to decide on a title
because I had made up my mind that I was publishing my book right then and there and I couldn't do so without a title. More important than blame, I wanted to emphasize the concept of contrition.

One
of the main metaphors or comparisons used in the book is between the
narrator and main characters with that of a turtle. Why did you decide
to use a turtle? I presume this was in some respect to protection, the shell on the outside and so on. I
chose this metaphor, and use it in the title, because I knew that would
be the assumption. Girls are turtles because they hide in shells. But,
in the anecdote from which comes the term 'turtle-bitch,' the girl is
called that because she is defying authority and conformity by playing
with a turtle in the sand. That false dichotomy was important to me.

Your
references to women throughout the novel were quite derogatory;
bitches, whores, witches and so on. Yet the women themselves are
portrayed as though strong, victimless and in some cases quite
unemotionally dependent upon anyone. What did you want the lasting
impression of the women documented in the book to be?Once
again, that was done to make a false dichotomy, to lend a sense of
irony. I've spent a lifetime telling people I hate women, I hate
feminism, women are pathetic, etc, because only when it comes out a
woman's mouth do people really realize how engrained sexism really is in
our culture. I want people to see words like 'bitch' and 'whore' and
think, no, that isn't right. So I use them.

The
premise of the book is the acceptance and dismissal of rape. This
premise is carried throughout the whole story, with the narration and
plot not really dealing with the subject in hand. This was a brave thing
to do; were you concerned that not openly discussing the main context
of rape would detract the readers interest from the story?Quite
the contrary. If anyone picks up that book because they want a graphic
description of the physical act of rape, they've got the wrong book
anyway. Besides, I did something much more graphic, I think. The mental
act of trying to 'get over' a rape is so much more brutal and revolting.
And, as you pointed out, if rape is so dismissed in our culture, why
should we have to discuss it? You know? That's what happens in court
rooms every day. We make our victims into whores, and the rape
disappears. That's what happens in children's homes and in the school
system, and especially in universities. We don't talk about rape.
We dismiss it. There's no reason to talk about it. Why should I?

You
make numerous references to drowning in the book; in particular this
feeling of having to be in control. The idea of drowning seems to of had
a significant impact - can you explain this in more detail and why so
many references were made throughout?Put
simply, drowning is the opposite of being baptized. It's what happens
when you are submerged and then things go wrong. Many characters in this
book are looking for baptism; they want to be clean and absolved of
their sins, or more accurately, others' sins who are tacked onto them.
I'm sure you noticed the Catholic/ Puritan imagery throughout the book;
it's a sort of mindset that pervades our society. We must be washed
clean of our sins, right? Only, what happens if, every time you try to
absolve yourself, you wind up killing yourself? This isn't a new idea. I
mean, Ophelia tried it.

For
me personally when reading the book, the people in the narrative seemed
very detached as though it were written in a more factual manner. As
such I felt these were more fictional characters than actual real-life
people. Does this reflect your feelings and attitudes towards those
subjects in the book?You
can blame this one on Hemingway. Or too much of his influence. His
voice is strong because he essentially learned to write as a journalist,
and even as a novelist, he used the guidelines set forth by the Kansas City Star.
I wanted to write this story as journalistically as possible; I didn't
want to be accused of being biased or playing favorites. I wanted to let
the readers develop their own emotions about the story, rather than
handing them some frilly emotions on a little doily or something.

Why
did you decide to write an autobiographical novel? What was the turning
point that made you want to write your story into a book?I
think I was about fourteen, and I wanted to be emancipated from my
parents. I thought if I could write a novel, I could argue my case for
emancipation, and then possibly have some income when the court
proceedings were all done. Kill two birds with one book, ya know? I was
never emancipated. I didn't finish the book till I was twenty. All sorts
of things happened. I spent most of high school in a basement, writing
to try to get out. No one believed me. But I kept writing it and
revising it, even after I moved away. I think it was cathartic; more of a
diary than a novel. Some 200,000 words were deleted to make this a
novel. It just got to the point where one day I said, this book has been
sucking my blood for six years. It's time I live off it for a change.

How was the process of writing the book; was it easy to confront the past?I
wrote most of the book as it was happening, so as far as my story goes,
I didn't have too much past to confront. As for the parts that happened
before I was born, or when I was too young to remember, it was more
like I had to catch the past than confront it. I had to do a lot of
research, I had to interview a lot of people. I had to be sneaky.
Stories didn't add up, and when they did, they didn't match up with
county records or what was in the newspaper. That became a major theme
in the story.

What have you got out of the book since writing it? I've
gotten, thankfully, a lot of positive reviews. It's really helped to
validate me as a writer. My dad read the book and he liked it, which was
big. The rest of my family doesn't know I've written a book about them.
My dad said he felt like I did a good job of being accurate, which was
huge to me. Writing it made me feel like I'd lost any sense of accuracy.
Nothing ever seemed to match up.

What do you want the overall message of the book to be?That's really up to the reader to decide. Not me.